High power, widely tunable, mode-hop free, continuous wave external cavity quantum cascade laser for multi-species trace gas detection

Journal Article · Mon Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905281· OSTI ID:22395608

Centeno, R.; Marchenko, D.; Mandon, J.; Cristescu, S. M.; Harren, F. J. M., ^[1]; Wulterkens, G. ^[2]

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1. Life Science Trace Gas Facility, Molecular and Laser Physics, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands)
2. TechnoCentrum, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands)

We present a high power, widely tunable, continuous wave external cavity quantum cascade laser designed for infrared vibrational spectroscopy of molecules exhibiting broadband and single line absorption features. The laser source exhibits single mode operation with a tunability up to 303 cm{sup −1} (∼24% of the center wavelength) at 8 μm, with a maximum optical output power of 200 mW. In combination with off-axis integrated output spectroscopy, trace-gas detection of broadband absorption gases such as acetone was performed and a noise equivalent absorption sensitivity of 3.7 × 10{sup −8 }cm{sup −1 }Hz{sup −1/2} was obtained.

• OSTI ID: 22395608
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 26; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ACETONE
DETECTION
GASES
INFRARED SPECTRA
LASERS
MOLECULES
OPERATION
SENSITIVITY
WAVELENGTHS